Crohn's disease in the elderly.

The natural history of Crohn's disease in 47 patients, 60 years of age or older at the time of diagnosis has been defined, and their clinical management and long term prognosis reviewed. Distal colonic involvement is common in this group while extensive colonic and diffuse small bowel disease is rare. Distal colonic involvement usually carries a good prognosis except for those few patients who present with perforation which accounts for most of the disease related mortality. The pattern of distal ileal disease is similar to that observed in the younger patients except for the acute nature of symptoms at first presentation, and the low recurrence rates after initial surgical resection.     

Laparoscopic versus open bowel resection for Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic bowel resection is an alternative to open surgery for patients with Crohn's disease requiring surgical resection. The present report describes a seven-year experience with the laparoscopic treatment of Crohn's disease compared with the open technique in a tertiary Canadian centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 61 consecutive patients undergoing elective resection for Crohn's disease was carried out between October 1992 and June 1999. This analysis included 32 laparoscopic resections (mean age 33 years) and 29 open resections (mean age 42 years). Patient demographics were compared, as well as short and long term outcomes after surgery (mean follow-up 39 months). RESULTS: Patients in the laparoscopic group were younger and had fewer previous bowel surgeries than patients who had open resections. Indications for surgery and operative times were similar between the groups. Patients who underwent laparoscopic resections required fewer doses of narcotic analgesics. The resumption of bowel function after surgery, and tolerance of a clear liquid and solid diet was quicker in the laparoscopic group. Patients who underwent laparoscopic resections had significantly shorter hospital stays than those who underwent open resections. Fifteen patients (48.4%) in the laparoscopic group experienced recurrence of disease compared with 13 patients (44.8%) in the open group. In both groups, the most common site of recurrence was at the anastomosis. The disease-free interval was the same length for both groups (23.9+/-17.3 months for the laparoscopic resection patients compared with 23.9+/-20.2 months for the open resection patients; P=1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic resection for Crohn's disease can be performed safely and effectively. Quicker resumption of oral feeds, less postoperative pain and earlier discharge from hospital are advantages of the laparoscopic method. No differences in the recurrence rate or the disease-free interval were noted.     

Long term prognosis of Crohn''s disease with onset in childhood and adolescence

The long term outcome has been determined in 67 children with Crohn's disease whose symptoms started at or before 16 years of age. The mean period of follow up was 15.0 years (range 1.5-47 years). The number of children diagnosed in each quinquennium has not increased. Nearly all patients had gastrointestinal symptoms at presentation, but in some cases these were only elicited on careful enquiry. Only four children presented with growth retardation alone. Twenty one per cent of the children had diffuse small bowel disease at onset or during the period of review and posed major problems in management with high morbidity and mortality. They were generally treated medically to suppress disease activity and surgical intervention was restricted to resection of local stricture formation. The outcome in distal ileal +/- right colonic disease was similar to that in the adult. Patients with colonic disease (27% of total) were treated medically but 83% required surgical resection after a mean interval of only four years (range 0-9 years). Growth failure occurred in 21 children (height and weight less than 3rd centile) and 11 of these had a period of catch up growth; 10 after resection (ileal +/- right colon resected, eight; colonic resection, two) and one after medical treatment. Ten have permanent growth and height retardation, of whom four had diffuse small bowel disease and three had early recurrence after surgical resection. Nine children have died during the period of review, of whom six had diffuse small bowel disease. Despite the high morbidity, 38 of the 58 survivors are now well with no evidence of recurrent disease. A further 14 are well, but with radiological evidence of residual (colon, three; diffuse small bowel, eight) or recurrent (three) disease. Only six have symptomatic disease at present.     

Long-term outcome after intestinal resection for Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVE: To assess the need for intestinal repeat resection for recurrence of Crohn's disease in patients observed for more than 20 years after the first resection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were gathered retrospectively from the medical records of 53 (28 F) consecutive patients with Crohn's disease from May 1954 to December 2002. Median age at first intestinal resection was 24.5 (range 13-65) years, and median observation time thereafter was 26.5 (20.1-48.6) years. Disease location and behaviour were defined according to the Vienna classification. RESULTS: The 53 patients had an average 2.7 and a median 2 intestinal resections. Out of 144 intestinal resections (77.1%) 111 were performed during the first three operations; no alterations in distribution of ileal, ileocolic and colic resections were found. From the first to the third operation there was an increase in penetrating disease from 15% to 39% (p=0.046) concomitant with a decrease in stricturing disease from 72% to 44% (p=0.048) of the patients. There was also a corresponding decrease in ileocolic disease from 45% to 5% (p=0.003) and a tendency towards an increase in ileal disease from 38% to 67%. One patient died (1.8%) from rectosigmoid perforation after the third resectional operation. Six patients needed reoperation (11.3%) for ileus, anastomotic bleeding, rectosigmoidal perforation and abdominal pain. Thirty-four patients (64.2%) needed intestinal repeat resection (median 8.3 years) during 25.3 years after the first repeat resection. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates a diminution of Crohn's disease activity with time, as demonstrated by no need for intestinal repeat resection more than 25 years after the first resection.     

Duration of recurrent ileitis after ileocolonic resection correlates with presurgical extent of Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease of the terminal ileum recurs in a predictable sequence proximal to the ileocolonic anastomosis after surgical resection. To confirm the suspicion that the duration of recurrent ileitis correlates with the extent of presurgical disease, this study investigated 23 consecutive patients with recurrent Crohn's disease symptoms who had undergone ileocaecal resections between 1982 and 1992 at our institution and had both preoperative and postoperative small bowel follow through studies available for comparison. All films were reviewed by a blinded gastrointestinal radiologist using uniform criteria. Symptomatic recurrence was reported at a mean (SEM) of 29 (25) months after resection. Presurgical length of inflammation averaged 26 (15) (8-57) cm and at recurrence 24 (14) (7-55) cm. The correlation coefficient (r) between pre and postsurgical extent of ileal disease was 0.70 (p < 0.0001). Seven patients had sequential small bowel series after 20 (10) (7-36) months without intervening surgery. The extent of measured inflammation between examinations correlated with r = 0.995 (p < 0.0001), showing the consistency of the measurement process. The close correlation between the duration of postoperative recurrence with the extent of presurgical disease is another example of individual patterns of recurrent Crohn's disease and is an additional factor to be considered when contemplating surgical resections.     

Neoterminal ileal blood flow after ileocolonic resection for Crohn's disease.

Endoscopic laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure neoterminal ileal blood flow in 16 patients who had undergone ileocolonic resection for Crohn's disease and had since remained clinically and biochemically free of disease, and eight control patients who had undergone similar surgery for colonic carcinoma. Four patients with clinically active Crohn's disease of the terminal ileum were also studied. Neoterminal ileal recurrence in those with inactive Crohn's disease was graded endoscopically. The median and minimum of five local blood flow measurements performed in each patient were inversely correlated with the endoscopic recurrence grade (r = -0.52, p = 0.04 and r = -0.63, p = 0.01 respectively). Relative to the control group, median blood flow was non-significantly lower in the inactive Crohn's disease group as a whole (p > 0.05) but was significantly reduced in patients with active disease (p = 0.02). A progressive reduction in tissue perfusion may accompany recurrence of Crohn's disease while at a subclinical stage.     

Autophagy gene ATG16L1 influences susceptibility and disease location but not childhood-onset in Crohn's disease in Northern Europe

BACKGROUND: The rs2241880A/G variant of the ATG16L1 gene has been associated with susceptibility to ileal Crohn's disease (CD) in adults. Our aim was to assess whether germline variation of ATG16L1 acts as an independent determinant of susceptibility to childhood-onset CD in the high-incidence Scottish population. METHODS: In all, 2195 subjects (361 children (inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] diagnosis <17 years), their parents (n = 634), 855 adult IBD patients, and 345 controls were genotyped. Case-control analysis was powered to detect effect sizes with an odds ratio (OR) >1.39 in pediatric CD. Case-control analysis, transmission disequilibrium testing (TDT), analysis of variance (ANOVA) of growth parameter z-scores, Kruskal-Wallis test (age at diagnosis), and multifactorial genotype-phenotype analysis (Montreal classification) were performed. 7.8% of pediatric CD patients and 37.2% of adult CD patients had pure ileal disease. RESULTS: We confirmed the association of the rs2241880G-allele with adult-onset CD (60.7% versus controls 53.9%, P = 0.01, OR 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.63) in contrast to childhood-onset CD (54.1% versus controls, P = 0.95, OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.80-1.26). TDT analysis was negative. Genotype-phenotype analysis demonstrated an association of pure ileal disease with the rs2241880G-allele (P = 0.02, OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.03-1.74). Using binary logistic regression analysis we confirmed the effect of rs2241880 genotype (GG) on ileal disease versus colonic disease (P = 0.03, OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.05-5.65). ATG16L1 genotype did not influence age at CD diagnosis. ANOVA of z-scores of height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) at CD diagnosis in children showed no association with genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The ATG16L1 variant is associated with susceptibility to adult CD in Scotland, but not early-onset disease. These contrasting effects are primarily driven by differences in disease location between early-onset and adult-onset disease.     

Surgical treatment of enterovesical fistulas in Crohn's disease

A review of the surgical treatment of enterovesical fistula in Crohn's disease was undertaken to evaluate its effectiveness and long-term results. Sixty-three patients, 39 men and 24 women, with a mean age of 34.4 years were identified with enterovesical fistula. They had documented Crohn's disease for a mean period of 7.0 years. Distribution of anatomic pattern was 34.9 percent ileal, 7.9 percent colonic, and 57.2 percent ileocolic. Nineteen (30.1 percent) had previous abdominal surgery for Crohn's disease. Presenting symptoms included frequency and dysuria in 93.6 percent, pneumaturia in 79.3 percent, and fecaluria in 63.4 percent; 60.3 percent of patients had all three features. Enterovesical fistula was confirmed preoperatively in 43 patients, suspected clinically in 15 patients, and diagnosed intraoperatively in 5 patients. Sixty-one of 63 patients underwent surgery with resection of the phlegmon or abscess with the diseased bowel and curettage or resection of the fistula. After curettage of the bladder defect, pelvic and bladder drainage was instituted. Coexistent fistulas, most commonly ileosigmoid, occurred in 31 patients. Intra-abdominal abscesses were found in 21 patients, of whom 15 required two-stage procedures. One patient died (mortality 1.6 percent), urine leak occurred in 3.2 percent, and wound infection occurred in 1.6 percent. Follow-up (mean, 106 months) has identified one recurrence of enterovesical fistula due to Crohn's disease, and a further recurrence from concomitant sigmoid diverticulitis. Enterocutaneous fistulas developed in 6.4 percent and 11 patients (17.4 percent) have required further resections for Crohn's disease. Surgical treatment of enterovesical fistula in Crohn's disease is a safe and effective treatment.Study performed at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Toronto, Canada, June 11 to 16, 1989.     

Impaired granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor bioactivity accelerates surgical recurrence in ileal crohn's disease

AIM To examine the relationship between elevated granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GMCSF) auto-antibodies(Ab) level and time to surgical recurrence after initial surgery for Crohn's disease(CD). METHODS We reviewed 412 charts from a clinical database at tertiary academic hospital. Patients included in the study had ileal or ileocolonic CD and surgical resection of small bowel or ileocecal region for management of disease. Serum samples were analyzed for serological assays including GM-CSF cytokine, GM-CSF Ab, ASCA Ig G and Ig A, and genetic markers including SNPs rs2066843, rs2066844, rs2066845, rs2076756 and rs2066847 in NOD2, rs2241880 in ATG16 L1, and rs13361189 in IRGM. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to assess the predictors of surgical recurrence.RESULTS Ninety six percent of patients underwent initial ileocecal resection(ICR) or ileal resection(IR) and subsequently 40% of patients required a second ICR/IR for CD. GMCSF Ab level was elevated at a median of 3.81 mcg/mL. Factors predicting faster time to a second surgery included elevated GM-CSF Ab [hazard ratio(HR) 3.52, 95%CI: 1.45-8.53, P = 0.005] and elevated GM-CSF cytokine(HR = 2.48, 95%CI: 1.31-4.70, P = 0.005). Factors predicting longer duration between first and second surgery included use of Immunomodulators(HR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.31-0.77, P = 0.002), the interaction effect of low GM-CSF Ab levels and smoking(HR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.45-0.81, P = 0.001) and the interaction effect of low GM-CSF cytokine levels and ATG16 L1(HR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.49-0.88, P = 0.006).CONCLUSION GM-CSF bioavailability plays a critical role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Decreased bioavailability coupled with the genetic risk markers and/or smoking results in aggressive CD behavior.     

Postheparin plasma diamine oxidase in health and intestinal disease

In animals, the distribution of the enzyme diamine oxidase is confined, almost exclusively, to the small bowel mucosa. In humans, plasma diamine oxidase is at or below assay detection limits but can be liberated into the circulation from binding sites in the intestine by i.v. heparin. Therefore, the authors wished to see if diamine oxidase could be released by a low and safe dose of heparin (5000 U) and if the resultant area under the concentration-time curve would provide a noninvasive marker of segmental intestinal disease. In 17 control subjects, the mean area under the curve (following administration of 5000 U i.v. heparin) was 35.9 +/- 5.0 (SEM) mU.L-1.2 h-1; in 6 individuals studied on two separate occasions, postheparin plasma diamine oxidase profiles were reproducible (r = 0.98; p less than 0.001). The longitudinal distribution of diamine oxidase in the gastrointestinal tract, measured in 12 gastric, 16 jejunal, 6 ileal, and 18 colonic biopsies, was similar in humans to that found in animals. In patients with normal peroral biopsies, there was a linear relationship between jejunal mucosal and postheparin plasma diamine oxidase activities (r = 0.84; p less than 0.01). The areas under the curve in controls were then compared with those in patients with segmental intestinal diseases: 21 with ileal disease with or without colonic Crohn's disease (10 unoperated and 11 with ileal resection), 7 with non-Crohn's ileal resection, 8 with ulcerative colitis, 10 with untreated and 7 with treated celiac disease (6 studied before and after a gluten-free diet), and 5 studied during total parenteral nutrition and again after resumption of oral feeding. The results in the 18 ileectomized patients were subdivided into those with major (arbitrarily greater than 75 cm) and minor (less than 75 cm) resections. Areas under the curve were markedly reduced in nonresected Crohn's patients (6.0 +/- 1.79 mU.L-1.2 h-1; p less than 0.001 vs. controls), correlating inversely, in a first-order relationship, with disease activity (r = 0.82; p less than 0.001) and returning toward normal in 4 patients achieving disease remission. Low areas under the curve in total parenteral nutrition patients (4.5 +/- 0.9; p less than 0.001) were also reversible on resumption of oral feeding. However, areas under the curve were not significantly lower in patients with limited ileal resection (less than or equal to 75 cm), with celiac disease (untreated and treated), or ulcerative colitis than in controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Diffuse jejunoileitis of Crohn's disease.

Diffuse jejunoileitis is an uncommon, but important manifestation of Crohn's disease because of the associated high morbidity and challenges in medical management. Despite this there have been no studies of prognosis or management of diffuse jejunoileitis for nearly 20 years. This study analysed the outcome among 34 patients (20 women and 14 men) with diffuse jejunoileitis diagnosed between 1960 and 1991 including clinical features, medical and surgical management, death rates, current status, and prognosis. Diffuse jejunoileitis presents in younger patients (mean age at diagnosis 26.4 years) than those with distal ileal Crohn's disease (mean age at diagnosis 33.3 years). Nearly all presented with clear cut abdominal symptoms including a combination of colicky abdominal pain (91%), weight loss (62%), and diarrhoea (53%). Most patients had severe symptoms reflected by the fact that 77% had been treated with corticosteroids for periods of more than six months at some stage during their follow up. The mean follow up from diagnosis was 16 years. Twenty eight patients (82%) had at least one operation for diffuse jejunoileitis and two thirds of the patients (n = 21) required two or more operations. The frequency of surgical intervention was particularly high in the younger patients (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). The proportion of patients requiring surgery was highest in the first year after diagnosis. The annual operative rate was 15% for the first 10 years and then it fell to 5.2% in years 11-15, and 2.6% in years 16-20. The data suggest that the disease does burn itself out over time. The increasing use of strictureplasty for short strictures and the minimal use of resection has eliminated problems associated with the short small bowel syndrome. The longterm prognosis of this patients is good. Only two patients died (one of perforation of the jejunum and another of an unrelated bronchogenic carcinoma). After a mean interval from diagnosis of 16 year, 24 of 32 living patients are well and symptom free. Only eight have abdominal symptoms of whom three are receiving corticosteroid treatment and one azathioprine. The combination of anti-inflammatory drugs with the relief of recurrent obstructive symptoms by strictureplasty can together produce a good longterm prognosis in most patients with diffuse jejunoileitis.     

How does pouch construction for a final diagnosis of Crohn's disease compare with ileoproctostomy for established Crohn's proctocolitis?

PURPOSE: There is a difference of opinion concerning the role of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in Crohn's disease, even in the absence of small-bowel or perianal disease. One view is that ileal pouch-anal anastomosis should never be entertained, the other is that ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, like ileoproctostomy, can be justified sometimes, because it allows young people a period of stoma-free life. The aim of this study was to examine the outcome of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and to contrast it with ileoproctostomy in patients with Crohn's disease without small-bowel or perianal disease. METHODS: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was performed in 23 patients with Crohn's disease (12 of whom had evidence of Crohn's disease at the time of operation and 11 who were eventually found to have Crohn's disease as a result of complications) and ileoproctostomy in 35. Patients were matched for age, gender, follow-up, and medication, but all ileoproctostomy cases had relative rectal sparing. Thus, the groups were not comparable and the reasons for ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and ileoproctostomy were therefore quite different. RESULTS: The outcome in ileal pouch-anal anastomosis at a mean follow-up of 10.2 years was pouch excision, 11 (47.8 percent); proximal stoma, 1 (4.3 percent; patient preference); average small-bowel resection, 65 cm; persistent perineal sinus, 8 of 11 having pouch excision (73 percent); and mean time in hospital, 37 (range, 8–108) days. Of those in circuit having ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (n=12), 24-hour bowel frequency was 6, with no incontinence or urgency, but 6 (50 percent) were on medication. When ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was done for Crohn's disease in the resection specimen, only 4 of 12 (33 percent) were excised compared with 7 of 11 (64 percent) in whom the diagnosis was made as a result of complications. The outcome in ileoproctostomy at a mean follow-up of 10.9 years was rectal excision in 3 (8 percent), proximal stoma in 1 (3 percent), average small-bowel resection was 15 cm, persistent perineal sinus in 1 (3 percent), and time in hospital was 21 (range, 8–36) days. Of those in circuit (n=32), 24-hour bowel frequency was 5, 2 had incontinence, 3 had urgency, and 12 (36 percent) were taking medication. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the overall outcome of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is inferior to that of ileoproctostomy, especially if Crohn's disease was diagnosed as a result of complications. Nevertheless, the functional results of those with a successful outcome are comparable.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Boston, Massachusetts, June 24 to 29, 2000.     

Crohn's disease; analysis of 105 patients

In this paper, 105 patients with Crohn's disease, (47 M, 58 F), mean age 37.4 +/- 42 years were evaluated clinically, demographically and epidemiologically. Mean age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 26.5 +/- 10.9 years. Follow-up period was 2.7 +/- 2.1 years on average. On admission, symptoms or signs were as follows: right lower quadrant pain 90.5%, abdominal mass 18.1%, enterocutaneous fistula 11.4% and subileus 9.5%. Diagnosis of Crohn's disease was established during appendectomy in 14 patients (13.3%). Family history of inflammatory bowel disease was determined only in six patients (5.7%). Intestinal localization were as follows: ileo colonic 52%, ileal 38%, colonic 10%. Clinical forms were inflammatory (68%), fistulous (23%) and obstructive (9%). Sacroiliitis (7.6%), ankylosing spondylitis (4.7%), erythema nodosum (2.9%), pyoderma gangrenosum (1%) were detected as extraintestinal manifestations. Of the patients, 12.4% underwent surgical intervention due to abscess drainage in 6.6%, fistulectomy in 3.8%, stricture resection in 1.9%. Medical therapy alone was sufficient in 75.3% of patients. As a result, our cases mentioned in this paper reflect the general characteristics of Crohn's disease and prominence of regular visits and treatment.     

Pathogenesis of gall stones in Crohn's disease: an alternative explanation.

The increased prevalence of gall stones in Crohn's disease is thought to be related to depletion of the bile salt pool due either to terminal ileal disease or after ileal resection. This study was designed to examine whether this hypothesis is correct and explore alternative explanations. Two hundred and fifty one randomly selected patients (156 females, 95 males, mean age 45 years) were interviewed and screened by ultrasonography to determine the prevalence of gall stones in a large population of patients with Crohn's disease. Sixty nine (28%) patients had gall stones proved by ultrasonography (n = 42), or had had cholecystectomy for gall stone disease (n = 27). The risk factors for the development of gall stones including sex, age, site, and duration of disease, and previous intestinal resection were examined by multivariate analysis. Age and duration of disease were positive risk factors for gall stones and were covariables. The site of disease and of previous intestinal resection did not predispose to gall stones. Previous surgery was an independent risk factor for the development of gall stones, the risk increasing with number of laparotomies. It is suggested that mechanisms other than ileal dysfunction may predispose to gall stones. Postoperative gall bladder hypomotility with biliary sludge formation may be precursors of gall stone formation in patients with Crohn's disease.     

Surgical management of ileosigmoid fistulas in Crohn's disease: Role of preoperative colonoscopy

PURPOSE: Surgical treatment of ileosigmoid fistulas in Crohn's disease remains controversial and can be radical (resection of both segments) or conservative (ileal resection with suture or wedge resection of the sigmoid). At our institution, the sigmoid defect is sutured if the sigmoid is not affected by primary Crohn's disease or by important stricture; otherwise, the sigmoid is resected. We reviewed our experience to evaluate our results with this procedure. METHODS: Thirty patients with ileosigmoid fistulas underwent operation. Among them, 15 had a preoperative colonoscopy, whereas others had no Endoscopic work-up. In nine patients, the sigmoid was thought to be affected by Crohn's disease (n = 7) or stricture (n = 2) and was resected. In 21 patients, the sigmoid was thought to be affected by proximity, and a simple suture (n = 15) or wedge resection (n = 6) was performed. Eleven patients had a temporary stoma (37 percent). One had coloproctectomy. RESULTS: One patient died postoperatively. One patient had postoperative sigmoidocutaneous fistula after conservative treatment. Histology of the sigmoid specimen showed Crohn's disease in 8 patients (27 percent), including 5 of 9 resected specimens, and 3 of 21 conservative procedures. All patients with Crohn's misdiagnosis did not have preoperative colonoscopy. Nine of 11 stomas were closed in a median delay of four months. With a median delay of nine years, four patients have again undergone surgery for recurrent colonic Crohn's disease, all of whom underwent surgery initially without preoperative colonoscopy. CONCLUSION: Preoperative Endoscopic assessment of the colon is a reliable guide to use when choosing between sigmoid resection or a conservative approach and can result in reduced morbidity and improved long-term results.     

Bile acid metabolism in patients with Crohn's disease in terminal ileum

Bile acid metabolism was studied by means of the fractional turnover rate or orally ingested 14C-labeled taurocholic acid and by gas chromatographic determination of fecal excretion of the bile acids cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA), and lithocholic acid (LCA). Thirty patients with Crohn's disease (CD) of the small bowel, of whom 19 had been operated on with limited ileal resections, were studied and compared with 11 healthy volunteers. The unoperated group of CD patients did not show significant increase in bile acid excretion in the stools in contrast to the CD patients with ileal resection. The fecal excretion consisted mostly of primary bile acids, and a significant correlation between length of resection and bile acid excretion was found (rs = 0.81, p less than 0.01). The fractional turnover rate of CA + DCA was significantly increased in both unoperated (0.21 l/day) and operated (0.44 l/day) patients compared with normal controls (0.06 l/day). The bile acid pool of CA + DCA, however, was normal in patients with ileal resections, indicating a compensatory increase in bile acid synthesis. In unoperated patients the bile acid pool of CA + DCA was slightly decreased (3.1 mmol) compared with operated patients (6.2 mmol) and normal controls (4.8 mmol). The pool size was not significantly correlated to mean transit time of dietary residue, feces excretion, loss of weight, or amount of fat in feces. The mean transit time of dietary residue was decreased in both operated and unoperated CD patients.     

Gallstones in Crohn's disease

The prevalence of gallstones in 52 patients operated on for Crohn's disease at the University Central Hospital of Tampere over a 17-year period (1972-1988) was 21%, as compared with 23% in an age- and sex-matched control population. The gallstone prevalence rate among patients with Crohn's ileitis was significantly higher than in patients with ileocolitis (p less than 0.05) or patients with Crohn's colitis (p less than 0.005). The prevalence of gallstones in 33 patients with ileal resection was 24%. In patients with an ileal resection of more than 50 cm in length the frequency of gallstones was 33% as against 17% in patients with a minor resection (p less than 0.001). Patients with gallstones had no significantly longer duration of Crohn's disease prior to the diagnosis of gallstones than patients with no gallstones during the median observation period of 12 years.     

Late onset Crohn's disease in patients with colonic diverticulitis

Summary and Conclusions Twenty-five patients had Crohn's disease in a colonic specimen resected for presumed diverticulitis. A syndrome of combined diverticulitis and Crohn's colitis is presented, which is heralded by anotectal disease, rectal bleeding, and fistulas. The illness is characterized by multiple operations, failure of diversionary procedures to control distal disease, and a high incidence of lethal pelvic sepsis. Results of these patients' studies suggest that late onset Crohn's colitis should be considered when clinical diverticulitis is present associated with anorectal disease (past or present), rectal bleeding, fistulas, or exceptional difficulty with an initial resection for diverticulitis. Patients with persistence of disease after colonic resection, distal recurrence after diversion, or late fistulization after resection for diverticulitis should be considered to have Crohn's colitis until proved otherwise. Also, patients requiring multiple resections for clinical diverticulitis are also strongly suspect for Crohn's colitis. When significant anorectal disease is present and Crohn's colitis is either proved or suspected, proctocolectomy may be warranted. Read at the meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Atlanta, Georgia, June 10 to 14, 1979     

Bacterial translocation in Crohn disease]

Bacterial translocation is the passage of viable endogenous bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to mesenteric lymph nodes and other internal organs. The aim of this work was to study bacterial translocation in patients operated on for Crohn's disease. Twenty-eight patients, mean age 29 years, not having received any antibiotics since at least 8 days, presenting with ileal (n = 12), ileo-colonic (n = 14) or colonic (n = 2) Crohn's disease were studied. In 25 out of 28 cases (89%) indication for surgery was strictures inducing an upper small bowel distension in 9 out of 25 patients. Mesenteric lymph nodes and liver biopsies, portal blood samples and peritoneum swabs were harvested after laparotomy and before gut opening. Bacterial translocation, defined as the presence of intestinal bacteria in at least one of the specimens, was present in 8 out of 28 patients. This was found in lymph nodes draining surgical territories in 7 out of 8 cases. Bacterial strains involved in translocation included E. coli (n = 5), Enterococcus (n = 3), Clostridium perfringens (n = 2), Proteus (n = 2), and Bacteroides fragilis (n = 1). The rate of translocation differed neither according to Crohn's disease site nor with perforating or non perforating type of the disease. Five out of 9 patients operated on for strictures with proximal distension had a translocation. In conclusion, bacterial translocation was identified in 29% of patients operated on for Crohn's disease in this series. Distension of the intestine proximal to a digestive stricture could favor the occurrence of bacterial translocation in Crohn's disease.     

Surgical treatment for small bowel Crohn's disease: an experience of 28 cases.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease is increasingly encountered in India. This paper reviews our experience with surgery for small bowel involvement in Crohn's disease. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients who underwent surgical resection for Crohn's disease during a period of 8.8 years from 1997-2006 at a tertiary care center. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (mean age 31.2 years; 18 men) underwent surgical treatment for Crohn's disease. The diagnosis was made only after surgery in 17 patients; 5 of them were receiving anti-tuberculosis treatment. The most common indication for elective surgery was subacute intestinal obstruction (n=15) followed by enterocutaneous fistula (3) and protein-losing enteropathy (2). Emergency surgery was performed in 4 patients who presented with perforation and peritonitis. Resection of the maximally involved segment and primary anastomosis was done in all elective cases. Resection and exteriorization of resected ends was done in patients who presented with peritonitis. Multiple strictureplasties combined with resection were done in 9 patients. Predominant colonic involvement was observed in 2 patients. The type of small bowel involvement included strictures (n=25), fistulizing disease (8) and perforation (6); 11 patients had more than one pathology. Postoperative morbidity was observed in nine patients; 6 patients underwent re-operation for anastomotic leak. Stoma had to be created in 11 patients either primarily or at re-operation, which could be closed after a median interval of 3.2 months. During a median follow up of 29 months, 3 patients required more than one hospital admission for abdominal symptoms. Pre-operative anemia, malabsorption and/or growth retardation, steroid and/or immunosuppressant therapy and mid small bowel resection had a negative impact on anastomotic integrity leading to anastomotic dehiscence. Indication for surgery, the type or extent of disease did not have any impact on postoperative morbidity. CONCLUSION: This retrospective analysis from a tertiary referral center indicates that sub-acute intestinal obstruction and perforation-peritonitis were the most common indications for surgery in Crohn's disease. Pre-operative anemia, malabsorption state, steroid/immunosuppressant and mid small bowel resection were associated with higher postoperative morbidity.